COOS BAY, Ore. – Southwestern Oregon Community College (SWOCC) invites the community to join with us to celebrate the Grand Opening of the new Diesel Mechanic Technology shop at 3:00-5:00 p.m., Monday, November 16, 2026.
The celebration and ribbon cutting will be held at the new building on SWOCC’s Coos Bay campus (1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay) next to the fire training tower near the ballfields off College Way.
The Bay Area Chamber of Commerce Ambassadors will open the event with a ribbon cutting at 3:00 p.m. Refreshments will be provided. Come meet the students and instructors Terry Cheyne and Tim Swank. Walk through the new shop building and meet the community folks who have helped with this new program.
SWOCC launched the program in fall 2025 in a temporary training lab. Now with the new Diesel Mechanic shop coming online, the College will accept 15 new students annually into the high-skill, hands-on two-year training program.
Small businesses and local experts in the field have driven this entire project from program development to capital funding for the building construction to equipment donations and sharing expertise in the lab.
Students who enroll in the program will get real world experience in the new lab. They will train in all aspects of mechanics to keep local transportation and shipping fleets operating on the road and water. This includes brake systems, hydraulics, powertrains and chassis, electrical and fuel systems. Once they complete training, these newly trained mechanics will be ready for high-demand careers in trucking, maritime, forestry, fleet services, rail, and agriculture.
For more information about the program, contact Terry Cheyne at (541) 888-7242 or terry.cheyne@socc.edu.